We’ve all been there. You snuggle down under the covers and wait for sleep — and wait and wait and wait. Sleep disorders can reduce your productivity and raise your risk of illness. If counting sheep just isn’t cutting it, use our five simple steps to get more rest.

Nibble These Before Napping
Avoid large meals before bedtime, but if you’re constantly up late at night, snack on cherries to help you sleep better, they contain phytochemicals like melatonin, which is a known sleep aid that your body secretes at night to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. For insomniacs who need a melatonin boost, doctors can prescribe the chemical in pill form, but you can also find it in foods like tomatoes, olives, barley, rice and walnuts. Milk is also naturally high in melatonin, possibly to help give mothers a respite from fussy babies.

Soothing sounds
Listening to music before bed can help you fall asleep, music is a beneficial (and non-pharmalogical!) method of improving your ability to fall asleep and the quality of your shuteye. Next time you’re having trouble getting some zzzs, turn on some soothing music and let the calming beats lull you into dreamland.

Sniff Lavender
A little lavender oil on your pillow before bed could help you fall asleep. Research suggests, though doesn’t prove, that aromatic wafts of lavender offer relief for insomniacs. The scent of chamomile and ylang-ylang, a plant native to the Philippines, may also induce sleepiness.

Turn Down the Temp
When you go to bed for the night, check your room temperature. People generally sleep better when it’s cool. For normal sleepers, the drop in core temperature is marked by an increase in temperature in the hands and feet, as the blood vessels dilate and the body radiates heat. So turn down the thermostat to save time falling asleep — and save money on your electricity bill!

Curl Your Toes
Curling (and uncurling) your toes while lying in bed can help you fall asleep faster. The repetitive movement helps some relax. The exercise also works with other muscle groups like your legs, abdomen and arms. Give it a try next time you’re ready for bed!

30% increase in number of working age men & women suffering from a stroke.
Experts said unhealthy lifestyles were partly to blame for the increase.
Strokes are caused by blood clots or bleeds to the brain and can lead to long-lasting disability.
Trends for people in their 40s and early 50s appeared to be getting worse.
Experts said growing obesity levels, sedentary lives and unhealthy diets – which raise the risks of dangerous blood clots – all played a part.
These figures show stroke can no longer be seen as a disease of older people. There is an alarming increase in the numbers of people having a stroke in working age. This comes at a huge cost, not only to the individual, but also to their families and to health and social care services.
Make sure you take care of yourself and encourage your friends, family and work colleagues to do the same. Regular exercise and a sensible diet will improve your chances of preventing stroke. Bodycare can help you to live healthier, for longer!

Bodycare Personal Fitness Club

www.bodycarefitness.co.uk

01268 758181

data sourced from Stroke Association and British Heart Foundation May 2015